


By Shallow Rivers

by Dorothy Marley (dmarley)



Category: Law & Order
Genre: Challenge Response, M/M, Plot What Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1999-02-07
Updated: 1999-02-07
Packaged: 2017-10-02 20:43:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dmarley/pseuds/Dorothy%20Marley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mike and Ben go camping.</p>
            </blockquote>





	By Shallow Rivers

Looking down at his lover, he gave a grunt of triumph as he tugged the last knot in place. Mike straightened up, wiping his face, and stepped back to review his handiwork.

"Nice job," Ben said, and got up to stand next to Mike, joining him in his contemplation of the new-struck tent. "Good knots," he added, testing a guideline with an experimental finger.

"Thanks," Mike said easily. "You drive a pretty mean stake yourself."

"Six years of Girl Scouts," Ben informed him, and smiled. "Where do you think I got the tent in the first place?"

"Nice of Liz to let you borrow it." Mike leaned back against a handy tree, pushing his sweaty bangs from his eyes as he looked around the little clearing. "I guess you bring her here a lot."

Ben nodded. "Sometimes," he said, and the wistful tone in his voice made Mike wish he'd kept his mouth shut.

"Sorry," he said presently, and got a brief, startled look from Ben. "I didn't mean to bring up . . . anything," he finished lamely.

Ben's expression softened. "You didn't." He hesitated. "It's all right, Mike," he went on quietly. "That's what this whole trip is for, isn't it? Get out here, all alone, away from work, from the city . . ."

Mike felt a smile begin to spread over his face. " . . . get to 'really know' each other," he continued for Ben, and was treated to another smile.

"Something like that." Ben regarded him for a long moment, the smile still playing over his lips, then leaned forward and kissed him. It was a soft, lingering kiss, just enough to kindle the first little thrills of desire, and Mike welcomed it, closing his eyes in relief.

He'd been so afraid that this wouldn't work, that out here, all alone, just the two of them, they'd take one look at each other and realize that this had all been a big mistake. Instead, he'd gotten an almost embarrassing pleasure simply being here with Ben, working with him to clear the campsite, to set up the tent. It had been . . . good.

And now they were here, out in this quiet, peaceful clearing, Ben's body close to him, smelling of dirt and sweat and old canvas, his mouth warm and alive against Mike's. Mike dropped the coil of rope he was holding and lifted his arms to wrap around him, sighing softly as he felt Ben's hands slide around the tree that supported him, pulling them both together with the rough bark at Mike's back.

"I'm thinking this was a good idea," Ben murmured, and kissed him one last time before drawing back, searching Mike's face briefly with his clear blue gaze.

"Yeah. Me, too," Mike said quietly. They were standing close now, hip to hip, and Mike grinned as he shifted his leg, sliding one thigh between Ben's knees, watching the other man's eyes darken, even as he protested feebly.

"Mike," Ben said half-heartedly, but still allowed Mike's hands to tug him closer. "We really should--"

Mike silenced him with another kiss, not letting go until Ben was short of breath, his face flushed. "We should what?" Mike asked innocently, and this time it was Ben who kissed him until they were both breathless.

"We should really--" Ben said against him, his lips moving lazily over Mike's, "--should really get cleaned up."

That stopped Mike in his tracks. "Huh? Now?" he asked doubtfully.

"Uh-huh." Ben nodded slowly, taking the chance to kiss along the line of Mike's jaw. "Absolutely. We should get to that creek over there, and take off our clothes, and--"

"--get cleaned up." Mike agreed with a new enthusiasm. "Yeah. Yeah, I think we should."

They parted with another kiss, and Mike began to have serious second thoughts about going anywhere farther than the nice flat grass of the clearing. But Ben was insistent, and almost before Mike could catch his breath back, they were heading out of the clearing, Mike watching the motion of that tall, lean figure in front of him and wondering exactly how long it was going to take to peel every stitch of those camping clothes away.

To Mike's relief, the place Ben led him to wasn't far, a mere stone's throw from the camp. Here, the little creek spread into a series of small, quiet pools, sliding along the edge of the ridge before abruptly plunging downward to join the larger streams. Ben took him to the last of these pools, a deep little swimming hole just at the top of the ridge. The water flowed into it through a wide, shallow channel, almost noiselessly filling the pool and then sliding away down the slope.

Ben dropped his gear on the rocky ledge above the water, then sat down to unlace his boots. After a second of looking at the back of Ben's head, watching those slim, nimble fingers work at the boot-laces, Mike dropped quickly to sit next to him and attacked his own shoes.

"Last one in's a rotten egg," he said cheerfully, and sent his boot sailing behind him. He was naked and sliding into the water while Ben was still peeling out of his slacks, and the first shock of the cool liquid on his skin made him gasp out loud.

"How's the water?" Ben asked, his voice almost lilting with amusement, and Mike turned to see him step out of his pants and stand up, slim and naked and beautiful. He was more than half-hard still, his cock swinging heavy next to his thigh, and Mike felt his arousal return as he looked at him, Mike's penis swelling gently in the chilly water.

"Come in and find out," Mike said, and grinned, sculling backwards to make room as Ben knelt and trailed a hand in the pool. After testing the waters, and apparently find them satisfactory, Ben swung his legs down into the water, sliding off the ledge in a single, smooth motion. He surfaced near the center of the pool, in front of Mike, and pushed his dripping hair from his forehead.

"Rotten egg . . ." Ben said disbelievingly, and Mike kissed him, still grinning.

"Hey, it worked," Mike said, and wrapped his dripping arms around Ben to kiss him again, stepping up until they were pressed body to body in the chest-deep water. The water was chilly, but Ben was more than warm enough. As they kissed, Mike's front moved slowly against Ben's in the slight current, their water-slick skin sliding apart in a way that made his breath catch, his arms shifting around the span of Ben's waist. When he finally let him go, they were both breathing hard, Ben's arms twined around Mike's neck.

"Wow," Mike said quietly. "That was . . . nice."

Ben nodded, not able, it seemed, to speak quite yet. He settled for another kiss, arching into Mike's body, stretching his long, slender length up against him. Mike let his hands slide up, slowly exploring the feel and shape of him. Ben was delightfully weightless in his arms, all hard muscle and sinew, his skin warm and pleasantly smooth under Mike's wandering touch.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Ben finally said into the damp skin of Mike's neck, kissing him softly.

"Yeah, right out here in front of God and everybody," Mike said absently, his own lips busy at the nape of Ben's neck, feeling Ben's knee lift to wrap around the back of Mike's thigh as he caressed the sensitive skin with his mouth, licking gently with his tongue until Ben shivered against him. Mike gave the exposed skin a soft bite, then soothed it with a kiss. "But I dare you to stop now."

"Not on your life," Ben said fervently. "Not if an entire marching band came by."

"Careful . . ." Mike said with a laugh, then slid around to catch Ben's mouth in another kiss. Mike could feel him now, hard against his belly, could feel his own erection bobbing against the slick crease of Ben's thigh. He shifted his grip, drawing his hands down Ben's back to curve over his buttocks, squeezing until Ben lifted his thighs, wrapping his legs around Mike's body in a sudden, fierce embrace. His long fingers tangled in Mike's dripping hair, holding himself up against him, then he slid his legs down again, caressing Mike with the inside of his thighs, clamping him around the hips as he brought their cocks together.

Mike closed his eyes, groaning helplessly into Ben's mouth as his penis slid over Ben's wet, slippery length, the cold of the water lost in the hot pulse of the blood rushing to his swelling groin. He squeezed Ben's ass again, and felt the other man's cock jump between them.

They stood there for a long, blissful time, Mike letting the slow current gently sway him against Ben, feeling the smooth slide of his hard cock next to Ben's in the soft, wet space between them. It was a new and thrilling pleasure, each small shift of their bodies sending a fresh jolt of sensation through Mike's groin. He pulled Ben closer, running his hands over him, reveling in the feel of him in his arms, kissing him slowly, determined not to miss a single moment of this.

But the slight motions they made in the current had drifted them slowly away from the center of the pool, and it was a shock when the back of Mike's leg came into contact with the underwater shelf of rock that marked the beginning of the deep water. He started, nearly losing his grip on Ben, his feet sliding on the treacherous stones. But then Ben was urging him back even further, right to the edge of the pool, pressing him down into the narrow shallows. Mike gave way readily, his mouth still fastened to Ben's as Ben laid him down in the water, sliding his body to cover Mike's as the stream flowed around them both.

The water poured down Mike's body, caressing his shoulders and arms and sides, its soothing touch a sharp counterpoint to the now-urgent beat in his groin. Mike arched up, feeling the water shift under him, filling the curve of his back, slipping down to tease between his legs. A warm, damp weight settled over his hips, pressing him back against the smooth rock, and he groaned again, pushing up to meet the hard, slick length of Ben's cock as it glided against his own. He thrust again, grinding mindlessly into the wet tightness between them, and heard Ben gasp, even as his body moved to match his rhythm.

He had no idea how long they lay there, kissing in the middle of the stream, rocking together in a slow, rolling wave of desire. The water was cold underneath him, Ben warm on top of him, and Mike found himself trembling helplessly, every nerve in his body alive with conflicting sensation. He spread his legs, letting the cold water rush between them, rising to caress his balls, to sneak between his buttocks, teasing him with cold, trickling fingers. Ben thrust on top of him, the hot, delicious friction driving him closer and closer to the edge, even as the chilly touch of the water pulled him back. Then Ben kissed him again, hard, his tongue sliding between Mike's lips, taking the last of his breath. his hips surging over him, pushing their bodies together in a swift, hard drive to the finish, until finally they both came, panting and gasping in the cold water, Mike's arms snaking up to hold Ben tight against him, swaying together while the tremors shook through them both.

When Mike could speak again, when the world finally spiraled back into place around him, he caressed the sweaty back over him, and kissed Ben's shoulder, moving his lips lazily over the pale skin. "I'm beginning to see the appeal of getting back to nature," he murmured, and heard a faint snort of laughter next to his ear. Then Ben's mouth was on his, and Mike closed his eyes, reveling in the slow, leisurely kiss, feeling the last faint pulses from his spent cock as his lips slid against Ben's. But when it was over, Mike opened his eyes again and looked up seriously into the brilliant blue gaze, just inches from his own. "The only thing is," he continued, "nature is getting cold and digging into my ass."

Ben had had the foresight to include a blanket in his gear, and after a quick plunge in the pool they laid down on it, twined together lazily while the tree-filtered afternoon sun dried them. Mike almost drifted to sleep, warm and secure in the circle of Ben's arms, his own arms draped around Ben's waist, his ear pressed to his chest, listening to the slow, steady beat of his heart. Ben's fingers were idly stroking his hair, combing through the thick, wet strands as they dried, fanning his bangs back from his forehead.

This was an unaccustomed luxury, one that Mike could never remember having before. In the city, there was always something else to do, something to interrupt the long, lazy afternoons that could better be spent, in Mike's opinion, doing exactly what he and Ben were doing now.

"I keep thinking I have to be somewhere," Mike finally heard himself say, and felt Ben's hand caress his forehead. "And then I'm glad when I remember I don't."

"Mm-hm," Ben said after a moment. "Me, too."

Mike was silent for another minute. "I guess that's the whole point, huh?" He shifted against Ben's chest, spreading his fingers over the flat span of his belly. "That we never have time," he said quietly. "It's always your job, or my job, or both our jobs, or my family, or your family . . . we never had the time."

It took a long time for Ben to answer. "Then maybe we should start making the time," he said. His lips pressed briefly to Mike's temple, warm now, and dry. "Maybe that's what we came up here to find out."

"Yeah. Maybe it was."

THE END

**Author's Note:**

> This was written in response to a challenge on the Slash mailing list to write a story beginning with the phrase: "Looking down at his lover, he gave a grunt of . . ."


End file.
